Packaging arrangement



June 19, 1962 0. c. BELLOWSY 3,039,600

PACKAGING ARRANGEMENT Filed Jan. 6, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. I

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PACKAGING ARRANGEMENT I Filed Jan. 6, 1960 2 Sheets-$heet 2 Fig. 3

United States 3,039,600 PACKAGING ARRANGEMENT Dexter C. Bellows, Fairfield, Conn, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 6, 1960, Ser. No. 800 8 Claims. (Cl. 206-45.14)

The present invention relates to packaging arrangements and more particularly to cartons in which articles of manufacture can be placed during handling, shipment and storage.

It is conventional business practice to package articles of manufacture in order to protect the articles from dust and damage from contact with other objects. The arrangement that is used to package an article can be provided with various forms according to the type and the degree of protection to be provided for the article. In addition, the packaging arrangement or carton can have other functions such as providing -a convenient means for displaying the contained article. The latter provision is particularly important when an article is to be shipped to a business house for sale to the general public.

With respect to the provision for protecting contained articles against damage from other objects, means are ordinarily provided in a packaging arrangement for mounting or suspending an article so that any shock forces encountered during shipment, handling, or storage are not transmitted to the contained article. in many applications, it is desirable that a packaging arrangement be provided with additional functions or characteristics in combination with the functions already discussed. For example, it is desirable to reduce the cost of manufacturing an article through use of portions forming a part of the article packaging arrangement for purposes conventionally served by separate elements.

The preceding general considerations have been set forth to provide a more complete understanding of the invention which will subsequently be more fully described.

Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a packaging arrangement having increased and improved utility.

It is another object of the invention to provide a packaging arrangement of the character described with novel means for securing an article of manufacture in a predetermined supported position relative to the arrangement.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a packaging arrangement of the character so far described so that when the article is removed from the packaging arrangement a portion of the aforesaid securing means can also be removed along with the article to continue securing certain parts of the article in assembled relation.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a packaging arrangement of the character described wherein the securing means is integral with the arrangement.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a packaging arrangement of the character described wherein the securing means also stabilizes the arrangement in assembled relation.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention as related to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a sheet or blank member, of a material such as cardboard, that has been cut and scored for the purpose of forming a packaging arrangement in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a packaging arrangement or carton that has been formed from the member shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the carton shown in FIG. 2

a V iC with tabs of ear portions of the carton deflected inwardly thereof; and,

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the carton taken along the reference line IV-IV in FIG. 3, along with a wiring device, in the form of a duplex receptacle, that is shown in a supported position in the carton.

With regard to the broad precepts of the invention, a pack-aging arrangement provides means for supporting an article of manufacture with the supporting means including a portion that secures, in assembled relation, separate elements of the article in addition to providing support for the article itself. In addition, the securing portion can be detached from the packaging arrangement when the article is to be placed in use to continue securing the separate elements of the article in assembled relation. To illustrate more clearly, but not to limit, these broad principles of the invention, the detailed description will now be set forth.

A sheet member 10, as viewed in FIG. 1, is cut from a strip of material, such as cardboard as previously indicated, in such a manner that it can be formed to provide a carton 12 as shown in FIG. 2. The overall dimensions to be accorded to the sheet member 10 and the dimensions to be accorded to various portions of t e sheet member 10, which portions will be more fully described hereinafter, can be determined through consideration of the size of the article which is to be so supported in the carton 12. Further, it is to be noted that there is substantially no scrap material resulting from forming the sheet member 10 for use in constructing the carton 12.

At a predetermined distance to each side of the longitudinal center line of the sheet member 10, an indent 14 is formed through scoring the sheet member 10 along its full length, in order to facilitate folding the sheet member 10 in forming the carton 12. For the same reason, an indent 16 is formed laterally of the sheet member 10 at a predetermined distance to each side of the sheet member lateral center line. Thus, a sheet member central portion, delineated by the indents 14, and 16, is provided in this example, to form a bottom wall 18 for the carton 12. it is to be noted that the indents 14 and 16 are preferably formed on the underside of the sheet member 10.

To provide a pair of side walls 19 for the carton 10, a slit 20 is extended laterally outwardly from each intersection of the indents 14 and 16 to the outer perimeter of the sheet member 10. With the provision of the slits 20, a section is also provided at each end of the sheet member 10 for formation of carton end walls 22, respectively, with each of the end walls 22 having a pair of flaps 24 rotatable about the laterally offset portions 14- of the indents 14, respectively. The offset portions 14 provide proper clearances at the junctions of the various folds in the carton 10. A slit 26 of limited length is extended inwardly from the perimeter of each flap 24 to be disposed in angular relation with the longitudinal center line of the sheet member 10 so that the carton 12, as viewed in FIG. 2, can be secured in assembled relation in a manner to be described more fully hereinafter. For the same reason, a pair of irregularly for-med slits 28 are provided inwardly of each of the side walls 19 to form portions of tabs 21, respectively.

Each of the end Walls 20 of the carton 1 2 is provided with a generally rectangularly-shaped tab or ear 30 to provide means for supporting an article of manufacture in the carton 12. Each ear 30 is formed through the making of a U-shaped slit 32, having a bight portion 34, in the associated end wall 22. To facilitate subsequent removal of the ears 30, perforations 36 are formed in each end wall 22 between the outer ends of legs 38 of the U-shaped slits 32, which define an inner edge 37 of the associated car 30. In certain instances, however, as will be described subsequently, a slit or indent (not shown) can be provided along a substantial portion of the ear edge 37, instead of the perforations 36, bet-ween the ends of the legs 38 of the slit 32. As a final notation relative to the sheet member in, a slit 4% is provided centrally of each car 30 for engagement of the ear 3% with a fastener conventionally supplied with the type of articles of manufacture to be contained in the carton 1 2.

To form the carton 12, as viewed in FIG. 2, from the sheet member It, as viewed in FIG. 1, it is necessary to fold the sheet member along its indents 14, 14' and 16. Thus, the side walls 19 are folded upwardly, or outwardly from the plane of the paper of the drawings, relative to the bottom wall 18. The end walls 22 are then folded upwardly in a similar manner and the flaps 24, in turn, are folded inwardly of the end walls 22, respectively, to be adjacent to the side walls 19. Concurrently with the upward folding of the end walls 22 and the inward folding of the flaps 24, the tabs 21 of the side walls 19 are pressed outwardly so that the flaps 24 can be received between the tabs 21 and the side walls 19, respectively, when the end Walls 22 and the flaps 24 are arranged in their finally folded positions, respectively.

In addition, the tip portion 42 formed by the slit 26 in each of the flaps 24 is projected inwardly of the associated side wall 19 to abut the inner side of that side wall 19, as clearly viewed in FIG. 2. With the use of the latter arrangement, the end walls 22 and the side walls 19 are secured in their folded positions relative to the base wall 13 against disassembly forces until the tip portions 42 of the flaps 24 are forcefully bent out of engagement with the inner sides of the side walls 19. After completing the assembly steps just described, the carton 12 is fully formed for containing an article of manufacture.

To illustrate the manner in which the carton 12 can be used to contain an article of manufacture, a wiring device, here in the form of a conventional duplex receptacle 44, is shown inserted in the carton 12 in FIG. 4. The receptacle 44 comprises a body portion 46 with which a yoke member 48 is assembled for mounting the receptacle 44. As commonly provided in the wiring device art, an ear 5% is extended outwardly from each end of the yoke member 48 and is provided with an aperture (not shown) for passage of a fastener 52 or screw used in mounting the receptacle 44. It is common practice that the fasteners 52 be supplied with a wiring device, such as the receptacle 44, so that users are provided with all the elements necessary for its installation in housing units or commercial establishments.

To ensure that any included fasteners are not separated from a wiring device during its handling, shipment and storage, means are conventionally provided for retaining the included fasteners in assembled relation with the wiring device. These means are conventionally provided in the form of separate elements or washers of fiber material which can be engaged with the included fasteners to maintain the fasteners in assembled relation with the 'wiring device. As will subsequently become more apparent, the carton 12 uniquely provides for supporting the receptacle 44 and for retaining the fasteners 52 relative to the receptacle 44.

The cars are bent inwardly of the carton 12 about their upper or perforated edges 37, respectively, as viewed in FIG. 4, when the receptacle 44 is placed for support within the carton 12. The fasteners 52 are then passed through the aforementioned apertures in the yoke ears 50 of the receptacle 44, respectively, and through the. slits 40 of the carton cars 30, respectively. With a provision of threads, as in the case of a screw, or any other laterally projected means, the fasteners 52 are then secured in their inserted positions relative to the yoke ears 50, respectively, against ordinary withdrawal forces since an attempt to withdraw the fasteners 52 results in the threads or the laterally extended means bearing against the edges of the slits 40 at the under side of the carton ears 30, as viewed in FIG. 4, to resist the withdrawal.

Thus, the receptacle 44 is disposed in a supported position relative to the carton 12. It is to be noted that the supported position of the receptacle 44 is one which is in a protectively suspended relation to the carton 12 since downward rotation of the carton cars 39 is opposed by reactionary forces from the receptacle 44 arising as a result of the assembled relation of the receptacle 44 with the carton ears 3h. Moreover, when the receptacle 44 is thus secured within the carton 12, additional forces are provided against unfolding of the end walls 22 toward the plane of the base wall 13.

As previously noted, the ear edge 37 between the outer ends of the legs 38 of the slits 32 in the end Walls 22 can be provided, in part, with a slit (not shown) and, in part, with a limited number of the perforations 36. Of course, if desired, the edge 37 can also simply be scored to facilitate inward bending of the ears 30. However, a facility of detachment of the cars 39 is provided when one or more of the perforations 36 are located adjacent to the ends of the legs 33 of the U-shaped slits 32, respectively, with a slit extending along a major portion of the length of the edge 37 so that removal forces exerted on the ears 39 are directed toward a limited sectional area across which the ears 3i? and the walls 22 are integrated.

With the latter arrangement, it is ensured that withdrawal forces, directed toward the open side of the carton 12 on the body 46 of the receptacle 44 to remove the receptacle 44 from the carton 12, will result in the carton cars 38 being detached from the car-ton 12 rather than the receptacle fasteners 52 being pulled through the slits 40 of the carton ears 39. In any case, when the receptacle 44 is removed from the carton 12, means, which would then formerly have been a part of the carton 12, are provided for retaining the fasteners 52 in assembled relation with the receptacle 44. Thus, a user can quickly and easily remove the receptacle 44, together with the ears 3%, from the carton 12 for temporary storage prior to installation without risk that the fasteners 52 will become detached from the receptacle 44.

The packaging procedures used for mass produced articles of manufacture, such as the receptacle 44 noted here, are facilitated as an added result of the use of the present invention. Thus, for example, pro-vision does not have to be made in assembly machines for handling separate elements, such as washers, during insertion of the receptacle 44 in the carton 12. If desired, in the illustrative embodiment of the invention, a back or support member can be used under the inwardly folded carton ears 39 when the fasteners 52 are passed through the aforementioned apertures of the receptacle yoke and through the slits 4d of the carton cars 30 during packaging of the receptacle 4-4.

To protect a receptacle 44 that is inserted in the carton 12 from dust and other foreign objects, means for enclosing the open side of the carton 12, as viewed in FIG. 2 can be employed. For example, a cellophane jacket can be wrapped around the entire carton 12 as an embodiment of this protecting means, and, additionally, as a means for displaying the contained receptacle 44 through the open side of the carton 12 for sale purposes.

Although wiring devices have been described here as being representative of articles of manufacture that can be supported in the carton 12, with suitable changes in design, other embodiments, obvious to those skilled in the art of the invention, can be employed to support these and other articles of manufacture. For example, with suitable resiliency provided in the carton ears 30 shown here, considerable protection against breakage can be provided for articles of manufacture that are of fragile construction.

In the foregoing description, the mode of operation of an arrangement of specified elements has been related to point out the principles of the invention. The description, therefore, has only been illustrative of the invention, and, accordingly, it is desired that the invention be not limited by the arrangement or embodiment described here but, rather, that it be accorded an interpretation consistent with the scope and spirit of its broad principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A packaging arrangement comprising a carton having a pair of opposing side walls joined with a pair of opposing end Walls, one pair of said walls each having an ear that is projected substantially laterally inwardly of said carton for supporting an article within said carton, and means forming a part of each of said ears for engaging respective fasteners passed through said article so that said fasteners are maintained in assembled relation with said article and so that said article is supported relative to said carton, and means for securing each of said ears to its associated wall so that an imposition of withdrawal forces on said article results in detachment of said cars from said one pair of said walls and so that said engaging means maintains said fasteners in assembled relation with said article even after removal of said article from said carton.

2. A packaging arrangement comprising a carton having a pair of opposing side walls joined with a pair of opposing end walls, one pair of said walls each having an ear that is projected substantially laterally inwardly of said carton for supporting an article within said carton and each of said ears having a slit for engagement with respective fasteners passed through said article so that said fasteners are maintained in assembled relation with said article and so that said article is supported relative to said carton, and each of said ears being perforated along its lateral juncture with its associated wall so that an imposition of withdrawal forces on said article results in detachment of said cars from said one pair of walls with said fasteners remaining engaged through said slits with said ears, respectively, to be maintained in assembled relation with said article even after removal of said article from said carton.

3. A packaging arrangement comprising a carton having a pair of opposing side walls joined with a pair of opposing end walls, one pair of said Walls each having an ear that is projected substantially laterally inwardly of said carton for supporting an article within said carton and means forming a part of each of said ears for engaging respective fasteners passed through said article so that said fasteners are maintained in assembled relation with said article and so that said article is supported relative to said carton, and each of said ears being perforated along its lateral juncture with its associated wall so that an imposition of withdrawal forces on said article results in detachment of said ears from said one pair of walls with said fasteners remaining engaged through said slits with said ears, respectively, to be maintained in assembled relation with said article even after removal of said article from said carton.

4. A packaging arrangement comprising a carton having a pair of opposing side walls joined with a pair of opposing end walls, one pair of said walls each having an ear that is projected substantially laterally inwardly of said carton for supporting an article within said carton, means forming a part of each of said ears for engaging respective fasteners passed through said article so that said fasteners are maintained in assembled relation with said article and so that said article is supported relative to said carton, and each of said ears 'being perforated along opposite end portions of its substantially lateral juncture with its associated wall and being slit along said juncture between the perforated juncture end portions so that an imposition of withdrawal forces on said article results in detachment of said ears from said one pair of walls with said fasteners remaining engaged through said slits with said ears, respectively, to be maintained in assembled relation with said article even after removal of said article from said carton.

5. A packaging arrangement comprising a carton having a pair of opposing side walls joined with a pair of opposing end walls, one pair of said walls each having an ear that is projected substantially laterally inwardly of said carton for supporting an article within said carton, each of said ears having a slit for engagement with respective fasteners passed through said article so that said fasteners are maintained in assembled relation with said article and so that said article is supported relative to said carton, and each of said ears being perforated along opposite end portions of its substantially lateral juncture with its associated Wall and being slit along said juncture between the perforated juncture end portions so that an imposition of withdrawal forces on said article results in detachment of said ears from said end walls with said fasteners remaining engaged through said slits with said ears, respectively, to be maintained in assembled relation with said article even after removal of said article from said carton.

6. A sheet member for forming a carton, said sheet member having means for defining a plurality of sections which can be folded relative to each other to provide a plurality of walls for said carton, each one of at least one pair of said sections being slit to provide an ear which can be projected substantially transversely of its associated one of said one pair of sections, respectively, means for facilitating detachment of said ears, respectively, from. said sheet member when removal forces of a predetermined amplitude are imposed upon said ears, and means forming a part of said ears for engaging respective fasteners even with said ear removal forces being applied to said fasteners.

7. A sheet member for forming a carton, said sheet member having means for defining a plurality of sections which can be folded relative to each other to provide a plurality of walls for said carton, each one of at least one pair of said sections being slit to provide an ear which can be projected substantially transversely of its associated one of said one pair of sections, respectively, the juncture of each of said ears with its associated one of said one pair of sections being perforated at least in part to facilitate detachment of said ears, respectively, from said sheet member when removal forces of a predetermined amplitude are imposed upon said ears, and means forming a part of said ears for engaging respective fasteners even with said ear removal forces being applied to said fasteners.

8. A sheet member for forming a carton, said sheet member having means for defining a plurality of sections which can be folded relative to each other to provide a plurality of walls for said carton, each one of at least one pair of said sections being slit to provide an ear which can be projected substantially transversely of its associated one of said one pair of sections, respectively, the juncture of each of said ears with its associated one of said one pair of sections being perforated in part and being slit in part to facilitate detachment of said ears, respectively, from said sheet member when removal forces of a predetermined amplitude are imposed upon said ears, and means forming a part of said ears for engaging respective fasteners even with said ear removal forces being applied to said fasteners.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,640,452 Knowlton Aug. 30, 1927 1,953,062 Conway Apr. 3, 1934 2,580,180 Meller Dec. 25, 1951 2,856,068 Paige Oct. 14, 1958 

